Sam LaPorta — Week 5: Two Fourth-Down Catches, 88 Yards
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Oct 12
LaPorta caught all 5 of his targets for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals, converting two fourth downs, one of them a 38-yard score, in a 45-21 win in Arizona.
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Sam LaPorta smashed the Cardinals on five targets: 5 catches, 88 yards, 1 touchdown, +12.9 expected points added (EPA) on his targets. EPA is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position.
The defining catch came tied 7-7 with 9:38 left in the second quarter. Fourth and 1 at the Arizona 38: Jared Goff threw short right and LaPorta took it 38 yards for a touchdown, +5.6 EPA and +17.2 points of win probability, the biggest swing of the game. Detroit led the rest of the way. The fourth down existed because of him too: on third and 12 his 11-yard catch left Detroit a yard short.
He had already converted one. Down 7-0 early in the second quarter, fourth and 3 at the Arizona 47, he caught a 12-yarder over the middle and an unnecessary-roughness penalty added 15 more: +4.5 EPA and +10.2 points of win probability. Jahmyr Gibbs scored three snaps later.
88 yards were his most of the season, after 48, 52, 44 and 84. Weeks 1 through 4 brought +18.7 EPA on 32 targets; this week brought +12.9 on 5. Through Week 4: 22 catches, 228 yards, 2 touchdowns.
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_Data via nflverse._
When Sam LaPorta's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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